Moral Watchdogs or Dirty Expansionists

There are many important lessons to be learned from the numerous empires throughout history. The idea of an empire existing in today's geopolitical climate seems almost implausible, they are certainly relics of the past, right? While the United States has a long history of insisting on isolationist policies, there have been a number of expansionist, imperial-minded Presidents who have fed the theory of American exceptionalism and led the nation down a path of excessive intervention in countries around the world. The Roman Republic is often looked at as one of the most successful republics in all of history. The Roman people living through its historic rise could have never imagined their sacred government ever exiting center stage. However, due to corrupt politicians, civil upheaval, and economic unrest, the republic did come to a violent end. Taking a critical look at the fall of the Roman Republic, as well as the United States’ imperialist history, could teach some practical lessons to modern Americans. </